


The Goddess of Life, The King of Death

by lilnome



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gods and Goddesses AU, felinette - Freeform, ml salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2020-04-24 11:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19172284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilnome/pseuds/lilnome
Summary: IMPORTANT! CHAPTER 5 HAS BEEN ADDED TO, PLEASE GO BACK AND REREAD IT!!!





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette lay curled into the chaise lounge in her room and wept. Lila had gone too far. The queen had come to her to inform her of her place, and she had been elated. Her, the goddess of life! Her parents were simple, her mother the goddess of family and motherhood, and her father the god of hearth and home. She had expected something along those lines, not this. Her friends had all received their domains already, and she had figured hers was so inconsequential it didn’t matter. Alya was goddess of truth and reporting, Nino the god of music. Nathaniel had art, and Rose had flowers. Adrien was the next god of the sun and light. These were all expected domains, things that matched each of them. Marinette had expected to be goddess of baking or fashion, things she enjoyed and was known for. Then, Queen Tikki had come to her family’s home last night. She had said Marinette was to take one of her domains, and become the next goddess of life. Marinette and her parents had wept with joy at the honor bestowed upon her.

Marinette had gone to the plaza the next day, to meet with her friends, and found no-one there. She had gone to Alya’s house, to see what was going on, only to walk in on a celebration. Lila was sitting on a throne like chair in the middle of the room, being fawned over by all of Marinette’s classmates. Alix, goddess of speed, was bringing her a tray of grapes and cheese, while Kim, god of competition, was carrying over a footrest. Nathaniel was sketching Lila, discussing a portrait with Marc, the god of writing. Marinette, letting her curiosity get the best of her, had hid on the other side of the wall to listen.

“Ugh! Can you believe it? _Lila_ , the next goddess of life? How unfair!” Chloe, goddess of beauty had huffed to her lacky, Sabrina, the goddess of loyalty.

“It really should have been you, Chloe. But, can you believe that _Marinette_ is the goddess of lies and deceit?” The redhead’s timid voice murmured. Marinette had frozen. _Lila_ as the goddess of life? When the girl had moved to the capital the year before, Marinette had quickly figured out the girl was a liar, along with Adrien. The girl had black-mailed them into not telling anyone. After all, Marinette was bound to just wind up some low-tiered goddess of flowers, and no-one knew what Adrien was going to become.

“Of course. No-one is _that_ nice, not really. Still, how unfair that Lila gets to marry Adrien. Really, it should be me. We look far better together.” Chloe had sniffed, and that merely made Marinette scoff. Then, she had peeked around the corner, just to see what was going on, only to gasp. There was Adrien, smiling fondly at Lila and kissing her gently to the cheers of her classmates. Adrien knew that Lila wasn’t the goddess of life, and that kissing her broke the law. To do so violated the rules of fate, that decreed the deities of the sun and life must wed, for the good of the mortals who lived on earth. She had felt the ties that had started to form between them snap, and turned to run home.

The familiar buildings of Olympus had passed in a blur as she ran, taking sharp turns and falling more than once. She had gotten home while her parents were out, and had snagged a pitcher of water and a glass before heading to her room. She had shut and locked the door, before curling into the position she was in now. Her mother and father had gotten home half an hour ago, but she had sent them away when they came to check on her, saying she was in the middle of a new design and needed to focus. That was several hours ago, and, detachedly, she realized she was hungry. She stood from her seat and stretched her stiff limbs, before padding her way down the hall. She slid into the kitchen, and grabbed a few of her father’s ambrosia cookies, and a glass of nectar to sooth her throat that was sore from her crying. She headed back to her rooms, sighing. She could handle this. She had to. She knew she could never forgive Adrien for betraying the ties of Fate. Had she held her new domain any longer, the severing would likely have put her in a coma. She also knew she couldn’t forgive her friends, especially Alya. She was the goddess of truth and journalism, for creations sake, and she clearly bought into Lila’s stories. Who else would say that Marinette was the goddess of lies and deceit? With her parents (creation above and below, how was she going to tell them?) she would figure something out. Maybe she could travel with her grandmother, the goddess of travelers, for a bit. She had always wanted to see the mortal realm…


	2. Chapter 2

It had been six years since she had left Olympus, and Marinette was happy. She and her Nona had been traveling together all over the mortal realm. She had visited Japan and China for the moon festival, England for bonfire day, even Brazil for carnival (that had been fun). She had spent last New Year’s Eve with her Nona and her parents at a street festival in Greece, eating gyros and baklava and stuffed grape leaves till she felt ready to burst.

Right now, it was mid-February, and she was alone in a field of flowers, as she had been for a month. Her Nona was visiting some friends on Olympus, and Marinette hadn’t wanted to go back yet. She often saw Adrien in the sun chariot, learning how to drive. She had taken refuge in the shade of a tree as he passed over head, and was stroking the soft fur of a cat. She had always loved the creatures, as they were soft, refined, sweet, and ever-so elegant. Something about them just…relaxed her. The calico butted it’s head against her hand, and she couldn’t help but giggle as she scratched under it’s chin. They stayed like that for a while, until a soft breeze whispered past. The cat arched it’s back and hissed, running into the woods. It was understandable. The breeze carried something powerful. It reminded her of her mother’s favorite chocolates, dark truffles that her father made once in a while. They were rich and smooth and melted in your mouth. Marinette always wanted some, but knew better than to ask for a batch every few days, as they were expensive to make. This power was like that, rich and strong and oh-so tempting. She stood and brushed off her skirt, going the way the breeze had come from. She felt it a few more times, teasing at her hair and tugging her skirt. It teased across her cheeks, and seemed to whisper in her ear.

_This way!_ It giggled in the voice of a young girl.

_You’re on the right path, fair Kore!_ The voice of a mother cooing at her children. Kore. That was what the mortals called her, just like her mother and father were blended into Hestia.

_Come on, then!_ It was the voice of an old man this time, sounding crotchety and gruff.

_So close, dear!_ An old woman watching her grandchildren walk for the first time.

Soon, she came upon a hole in the ground. It was maybe six feet wide, and seemed infinitely deep. The sides were jagged and pock-marked with precious stones and jewels.

_You may enter, but be cautious. It is a long way down, and the other side is dark and dangerous_. The voice of a young man, smooth and cold. Marinette asked herself if this is what she really wanted to do. After all, she didn’t know what was on the other side. Then again, she was a goddess. Not much could hurt her. She could always find a plant or animal and ask the way back. Her grandmother wouldn’t return from Olympus for another few days anyway. She had plenty of time. With that, she stepped into the hole, and fell.

XoxoX

Felix, or Hades, as the mortals called him, was so tired. Tired of being stuck down here for the last several decades, tired of being alone, and tired of all the damn paper work. Sure, he had Claude, Alain and Allegra to help, but creation above and below, he was tired. He stretched at his seat, and slumped against the back. He stood, and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for dinner anyway, he may as well take Cerberus for a walk. He stalked the silent, empty halls of his palace, making his way outside to leash the hell-hound. He pause, leash in hand, when he didn’t see the giant dog anywhere in the garden. He blew the whistle that was attached to the leash and waited. Five minutes passed, and nothing. He whistled and waited another ten minutes. Maybe he was in the fields of punishment? He may not be able to hear the whistle if he was. He tried again, blowing long and hard enough, that, were he human, he likely would have passed out. Still nothing.

“Allegra.” He sighed. The goddess of magic appeared in a whirl of mist beside him, wearing a purple chiton and sandals.

“What is it? I was in the middle of scrying Olympus. They’re going through some _serious_ drama right now, and it’s delightful. You see, the go- “She began to gush about her latest drama before he cut her off.

“I need you to find Cerberus. He’s not responding to the whistle.”  He held up the little silver tube. She furrowed her brow.

“That’s odd. I enchanted that thing so that he could hear it anywhere in the underworld or on earth. Maybe he’s just ignoring you? If you like, I can cast a tracking spell real quick. It would take you to him.” She twisted her wrist and a small pouch appeared in her hand.

“Please. I only have so long before dinner, and Claude will skin me if I’m late.” She nodded, and sprinkled some purple and silver dust onto the leash. She muttered something in a language he didn’t understand, and the leash glowed for a moment, before returning to a dull green. The clip that attached to Cerberus’ collar began to float, and pointed to the east, past the isles of the blessed. Felix sighed, and got ready for a long walk.

XoxoX

Marinette had hit the bottom on her feet, bending her knees to lessen the impact. She stood and looked around. She was in what looked like a large underground cavern, though the roof far above was studded with diamonds in the pattern of constellations. She was in a dull grassy field, the grass half wilted and dying save a circle of lush green around her. She could see a red glow over a fence in the distance, accompanied by faint screams. Marinette soon realized she was in the realm of Felix, the one the mortals called Hades. He was ruler of the dead and god of all the riches under the earth. He had three loyal retainers, Allegra (Hecate), Claude (Thanatos) and Alain (Charon). Together, they watched over the souls of mortals who had died.  Marinette was okay with death. As goddess of life, she had to be. It was just the next step. To find herself in the realm of her counter part was disconcerting, but she did not feel scared. She sat down on the hell, and pushed her powers out. She grew a batch of long reeds, and began weaving them into a soft mat, smiling up at the diamond-constellations. Her hand moved of their own accord as she day dreamed (was it still day time? She couldn’t tell, as the sun chariot didn’t come to the underworld.). Soon, her mat was done, and she flicked it out behind her, settling herself down onto her back to watch the way the gems set so high above seemed to shimmer with an internal light. Soon, she felt the ground shudder rhythmically. She froze, and pushed a grove of trees to life around her. It was harder down here, where the soil held no nutrients for the plants, and there was no sun or water to feed them. Instead, the trees, like the reeds, were manifestations of her whim, pure life magic in a land of the dead. She scurried up a tree (difficult in a chiton) and tucked herself against the trunk. What she wouldn’t give for Juleka’s shadow manipulation right now. She held her breath (she didn’t _really_ need to breathe, but it was a habit) and waited. Then, bounding over the hill, came the biggest dog Marinette had ever seen. It was a huge dog, a natural hound, not like the ones the humans were making, with pointed ears and a long fluffy tail. It’s coat was dark brown, with a few black patches, and rather long. What truly stood out was that the dog had three heads, all sniffing like mad. Eventually, the dog followed her scent to the base of her tree. It reared up on it’s back legs, and planted it’s paws on the trunk, snuffling the lower branches and whining. She caved under the three massive set of puppy eyes, and slid down the tree, landing in front of the huge hound. She held out a hand, and giggled when the heads butted each other aside to sniff at her. Then, she was accosted on all sides by slobbery tongues, as the three heads decided that they would very much like to kiss the pretty-smelling lady. Soon, Marinette was laying on the ground, coated in dog slobber and laughing her butt off.

“Down boy!” Marinette giggled. The hound sat with an earth-shaking thud. She stood and cringed. With a touch of divine power, she vanished the dog slobber. Marinette reached for the bone-shaped tag on the dog’s center collar, and twisted it around. It read:

_Cerberus_

_Hades / Felix_

_666-131-313_

“So, you’re Cerberus? The fearsome guard dog of Hades’ realm. Not so scary, are ya bud? You just need someone to give you a belly rub once in a while, don’cha?” Marinette reached down and scratched at the dog’s massive chest. His rear right leg began to shake as her hand moved, before he flopped onto his side and rolled around in the ground. She smiled and dropped to her knees, using both hands to rub his stomach. Soon, Cerberus fell asleep, and Marinette smiled at the cute picture. She turned and leaned her back against the large hound’s side, pulling a book out of her bag. She had time.

XoxoX

Felix wound up walking further than even the outermost reaches of the fields of punishment and the ends of Asphodel. He saw Cerberus laying on his stomach, in front of a grove of trees Felix had never seen before in his two decades in the underworld. This was enough to pique his curiosity. When he cleared his throat in an attempt to wake his wayward dog, he was surprised to see a woman stand up on the other side of the dog. Her hair was long, reaching mid-back, and a glossy ravens-wing. When she turned to face him, her eyes were a lovely shade of blue, the same as the most flawless sapphire. Her skin was flush with life, and she had freckles across her nose. She wore a pink Athenian chiton, and a pair of soft looking pink slippers.

“Oh! Hello! My name is Kore. I’m terribly sorry to intrude! You see, I was petting this cat, but then this odd breeze came by, and it was whispering to me! I followed it back to the source, and it turned out to be a hole in the ground. I was curious, and went down it. I found myself here, and wound up watching the ceiling for a while. It’s more lovely than the night sky, but don’t tell Luka I said that, he’d be so hurt. Anyway, I wound up meeting Cerberus here, and we wound up cuddling. I meant to leave after a few minutes, but – I’m rambling. Sorry…” She flushed redder than a ruby, and rubbed the back of her neck.

“My name is Hades. I see you found my dog.” He raised a brow and gestured to Cerberus, who was now shaking himself awake. The girl froze, before curtseying.

“An honor to meet you, your majesty. I apologize if I intruded. As I said, I fell down a hole in the ground and got rather distracted.” He assessed her. As king of the dead, he needed to be able when someone was lying to him. Everything pointed to her being honest, but he wasn’t sure. Other goddesses had tried to seduce him before, notably Chloe (or Aphrodite, as the mortals called her). Her lackey Sabrina had even tried once. He decided to trust his gut on this one. If she _was_ then this was certainly an unusual angle.

“How you got here is of no consequence, you are a guest none the less, please, come back with me to my castle and join me for dinner.” He swept a light bow and offered her his arm. For some reason, he was delighted that she took it.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner was delightful. Marinette was able to have foods she had sorely missed in the six years she had been away from Olympus. Hades even had some cookies with bits of ambrosia from her family’s stall at the local market. He had walked her back to the gates of his realm. Soon, they reached the surface and she turned to him.

“I can’t thank you enough, your majesty. Not only for having me for dinner, but also for allowing me to stay in your realm at all. You would have been well within your rights to punish me for trespassing.” Felix could see Charon in the background, smirking at his boss. May as well give him something to smirk about.

“I would never turn away a lady, especially not one so fair as you.” He took her hand in his and gently kissed her knuckles. “If you would like, you can join me for dinner again. Say, a week from now?” He smiled at her, and watched as she blushed again.

“I would like that, your majesty.” She managed to squeak.

“Please, my lady, call me Felix.” The girl then gave him a smile that made his brain stall for a moment.

“So long as you call me Marinette. Until next week, Felix.” She bobbed a short curtsey, and made her way through the gates to the land above. Felix stood there for a moment before his friend made his way over.

“Well Felix, I never thought I’d see the day! You, romancing a lovely young goddess. If I did, I expected it to be some power play, but that girl left you, the ice-hearted king of the dead, speechless. I’m impressed.” His friend laughed, and Felix huffed.

“Really Claude, you needn’t be so rude. Lady Kore is a lovely young goddess.”

“Wait, _Kore?_ You mean the goddess who has Olympus in knots?” Claude’s jaw was slack.

“Maybe. You know I don’t keep up with gossip from Olympus. I’m rather busy down here, you know. Speaking of, you have a line forming _Charon_. You best get back to work.” With that, Felix spun on his heel to head back to his palace and the paperwork that awaited him.

“Well boss, things are certainly about to get interesting…” Claude thought to himself as he readied the ferry.

XoxoX

And so, it went on. Every week Marinette would venture down below the earth and spend an evening with Felix. From there, it grew to visiting a few times a week for dinner, to him taking her on tours of the realm. She met all three of his friends, and grew a rapport with each. Her and Allegra gossiped about Olympus and had spa days. Her and Claude acted like siblings separated at birth. Her and Alain snarked and sassed each other, but would come together to prank Claude from time to time. It went this way form many years, until Marinette was soon spending more time in the Underworld than on earth. It had been twenty years since she had set foot on Olympus, and she was fine with that. She went up to the surface once in a while so that she could see her parents, as no-one but her Nona knew she was friends with the entire Underworld crew. Gina was rather chill about it. She had dropped in a few times, and jetted out a few days later. On one trip, Sabine had said something that nearly made Marinette choke on her nectar.

“That nasty little Lila girl is marrying Adrien next year. Somehow, she _still_ has everyone convinced that _she’s_ the goddess of life.” Marinette may not have choked, but she had spat crumbs all over the picnic blanket. After a heavy gulp of nectar, she had rasped out

“What? How?” Sabine had smiled at her daughter and handed her a napkin.

“She says that you’re the goddess of deceit and lies, and that you ran away for attention. What will happen to the cosmic balance is beyond me. The girl is obviously the real goddess of deceit, with how many deities are buying into her lies. I am happy that you’re okay dear. Your happiness has always been my number one priority. Your father really is sorry he couldn’t make it this time. He’s got an appointment with the happy couple today to decide on their cake. They’re having Audrey make the dress and everything. It’s being called ‘the event of the century’.” Both women laughed at that. “SO, how have you been dear? Tell me about your travels!” That was another thing. She and Allegra often dragged Felix away from his work to some odd place on earth, just to get him to take a break.

“The French have invented these delightful cookies, called macarons. I got Papa the recipe, they’re amazing. You’ll love them, I’m sure.” Mother and daughter chattered the day away, until the sun began to set. Marinette sighed and stood.

“Oh, how I wish you could come home without everyone saying such cruel things about you.” Sabine bemoaned. “Or at least stay out to see the moon. You and Luka got on so well when you were younger.” Marinette sighed and hugged her mother tight.

“I know, Mama, but if he sees me, he’ll tell everyone on Olympus where I am. I’m enjoying my life, and I can’t risk it.” Sabine squeezed her daughter tight.

“You can’t hold out forever, Marinette. Attendance at the wedding is mandatory, you know that. You have a year. I wish I could give you more.”

“But that’s a year away. For now, you need to head home. If you arrive back too late, there will be questions.” Both mother and daughter, no matter the risks, couldn’t help but stay in each other’s arms for a few minutes more. Marinette watched as her mother began to glow, before fading out of existence. She flipped up the hood of her cloak, and made her way into the woods. She was hurrying along to the gate way hidden in a pile of boulders when she heard a rustling noise behind her to the left. She hurried her pace. She may be goddess of life, but monsters could still hurt her, and some were hard to kill. She had almost made it to the rock pile when she saw someone trying to come at her from the side. In a panic, she changed her appearance. Her eyes became brown like Claude’s, her hair blonde like Allegra’s, and her facial structure warped to be similar to Alain’s. The figure stepped out of the trees, revealing a girl with dark hair and brown eyes. She wore a tunic and leggings, and carried a long thin sword. Marinette recognized her as Kagami, goddess of the hunt. This was bad. She had expected a mugger or a killer, not another deity!

“Maiden, what are you doing out so late at night all alone?” She seemed worried, like she feared for Marinette’s safety. Then, it clicked. Kagami had a group of girls that traveled with her on earth, maidens who had needed away from their lives for some reason or another.

“I am on my way to gather herbs for my mother. She is ill and needs them soon. I must hurry, ma’am.” Marinette poured her anxiety into her voice, trying to sound desperate.

“What herbs does she need, maiden?” Kagami placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her.

“Um, garlic, thyme, sage and mint, ma’am.” Kagami nodded, before reaching into her satchel. She dug around for a few seconds, before handing Marinette three jars.

“Take these and run home, maiden. May your mother be well soon.” Kagami turned on her heel, and made her way back into the woods. Marinette tucked the jars close to her chest, and hurried through the woods. She waited outside the boulders for a few minutes, making sure that there was no-one watching, before tapping the center boulder seven times. It rolled aside, and Marinette scuttled down the stairs, nearly running into Claude at the bottom.

“Woah! You good, ‘Nette?” He grasped her shoulders, and checked her over for any injuries.

“’m fine, Claude. Just almost got caught.” She let her features melt back to normal, and vanished the jars she still held. “Let’s head back. I’m so tired. I also have gossip for tomorrow.”

“Oooh! Is it juicy?” He crooned as he rowed across the river.

“It’s certain to cause a stir, that’s for sure.”

XoxoX

Felix glanced up from the report he was reading when Marinette entered his office. She paused long enough to remove her cloak before slumping into an armchair he kept by his desk for when she helped with paperwork. She let her head sag against the back of the chair and let out an almighty groan.

“That bad?” He asked.

“Worse. Adrien and Lila are getting married next year, and it’s mandatory. Unlike the yearly galas and bells, I can’t skip out.” She began massaging her temples.

“Really? Well, this gives us time to prepare at least. We can commission a dress, have some jewelry, made, and figure out what to tell anyone who asks where you’ve been. I don’t imagine you’ll want to tell them that you’ve spent almost the last eight years in the Underworld.” He grabbed a quill and a blank piece of parchment and began jotting down plans. “We could say you’ve just been traveling the mortal realm. Or that you’ve been with Lady Ondine, under the sea. She likes you well enough, she should be willing to play along.”

“Felix.”

“We’ll need to make it look like we don’t know each other.”

“ _Felix._ ”

“That would be rather hard to explain.”

“Felix!” She yelled, interrupting his tirade. “We could just tell the truth. You and I are friends and I spend a lot of time down here. They think I’m the goddess of lies and deceit. To them, it would make perfect sense for me to spend my time here.” Felix dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

“How did I not think of that?” She giggled a little. He may act cold and stone-hearted when around his subjects, but Felix was actually a bit of a drama queen.

“That’s what I’m here for. To fill in the gaps. For example, did you order those crates of ambrosia for the isles of the blessed yet?” Felix winced.

“Creation above and below, what would I do without you?” He dug through the piles of scrolls on his desk, and began to panic when he couldn’t find the order form. Marinette cleared her throat, and held out the appropriate parchment to him.

“It was on the floor beneath your chair.” He took the parchment from her and kissed the inside of her wrist.

“Truly, I am the luckiest man in the world. Remind me again how I got you to agree to let me court you?” She blushed in the way that he loved. It dusted a petal pink across her peaches-and-cream skin, along her nose and cheeks and the tips of her ears.

“Allegra asked if we were courting and we both said yes.” He shook his head.

“Remind me later to send her a basket of those fruits she loves.” Marinette merely giggled, before nodding.

“I’m going to go tell Allegra and Alain, if they don’t already know. Love you.” She kissed his forehead and headed for the door. He waited till the door and shut before sighing. He pulled open a small drawer in his desk, an withdrew a small box, maybe a foot square. Nestled within on a bed of black velvet was a crown of platinum, embedded with rubies and sapphires. In the middle was a large diamond, cut into the shape of a six-pointed star.

“And I you. Let’s just hope you say yes. I guess this will have to wait. Creation knows father would be furious if I got married before Adrien.” He shut the box, ignoring the ring that sat in the center of the box, encompassed by the crown. After all, he had looked at it every night for the last two years.


	4. Chapter 4

Allegra was stretched out, beaming at the scrying pool before her. Her servants tittered at the images playing across the water. Everything was going according to plan.

XoxoX

Lila was in Elysium. How she had fooled this many deities was beyond her, but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was a little draining at times, maintaining all of the lies she had told. She hadn’t been feeling well lately, but that was likely just stress. After all, she was getting married in just under a year. Speaking of, here came her dope of a fiancé. He had privately spoken to her when it was ‘discovered’ that she was the next goddess of life. He was eating out of her palm, and Lila loved it. For a while he had been uncertain whether or not Marinette really was goddess of lies and deceit. Of course, when she began to cry, he caved. The lame little flower nymph had disappeared almost twenty years ago, and would most certainly not be coming back. Only the more powerful gods were required to attend the wedding, so the little fool wouldn’t interfere. She was currently being fitted by the one and only Audrey Bourgeois for a wedding gown. She planned to descend to the Underworld later with her fiancé to choose a gem for her wedding ring, and several more for her crown. Her life was perfect. She would be named crown princess of the gods, married to Adrien, and no-one would question her.

“It’s my best work yet.” Audrey stood, setting aside her bowl of pins.

“It looks lovely, Auntie Audrey. Lila, are you ready to go choose your stones? I’ve sent Gina ahead to tell them to expect us.” Adrien gave his aunt a brief hug before kissing Lila on the cheek.

“Absolutely, dear. I can’t wait. Just eleven months and three weeks to go.” She kissed him on the tip of his nose, and went to change out of her dress. Yes, this was perfect.

XoxoX

Marinette shuffled, anxious. Her usual pastel chiton was exchanged for a deep garnet one, with silver accents. She wore a crown of wrought iron with crystal roses, and a heavy garnet colored veil covered her face. Her usual slippers had been swapped for a pair of black heels, that were enchanted to look taller than they were. She was standing in a side hall, just off the throne room. She was to wait for Alain to come and fetch her. She heard the great door open, and placed her hand on a shrunken-down Cerberus’ head. In this form, he had only one, and reached her ribs instead of towering a good six feet above her. Alain, in full Thanatos garb, appeared beside her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he shook his head. Not yet. He reached out a thin finger, affected by the magic of his cloak, and pressed a hidden rune. The symbol glowed silver for a moment, before the wall turned transparent. There stood Adrien and Lila, bowing to Felix, who was lounging on his throne. The two stood, and Adrien began to ramble.

“Thank you, lord Hades, for granting us this boon. No-where in the three realms can jewels of the same quality be found as those here in your domain. My fiancé and I are eternally grateful, in return- “Felix raised a hand, and Adrien paused.

“This is not a boon, it’s an exchange. You get some of the rarest gems in the three realms. In exchange, I merely wish to bring my wife with me to the event. She had not set foot on Olympus before and is most curious. Thanatos!” He bellowed, and Alain squeezed her hand before disappearing, only to step out of the shadows behind Felix’s throne. Lila clearly jumped at the large man suddenly appearing.

“Yes, Lord Hades?” He knelt before Felix, head bowed and massive black wings tucked tight.

“Fetch the Lady Persephone. We have guests she must meet.” Thanatos rose, and was engulfed in a whirling vortex of shadows. He appeared beside her again, and Marinette took a deep breath. Show time.

First, she activated a rune on Cerberus’ collar, making him grow to his normal height, second, she flipped up the hood of the silken cloak she wore over her elaborate dress. Thanatos tapped another rune on the wall, making it melt away in a silver glow. Thanatos offered his arm, and she settled her hand in the crook of his elbow. She adjusted her veil once more before gliding forward. She kept her head down until she reached the steps to the throne platform. She then tilted up her chin, and removed her hood.

“Hello, husband. It is good to see you again.” Felix stood, and walked over.

“Hello, my love. I cannot express how much I missed you. I have some people I’d like you to meet.” He guided her to the throne next to his, before removing her cloak. He draped it over the back of her throne, before kissing her knuckles and returning to his throne. “My love, meet my younger brother, Adrien, god of the sun. The woman with him is his fiancée, Lila, the goddess of life.” Marinette nodded to each of them.

“I’ve never heard of a goddess named Persephone before.” Lila said, head tilted to the side.

“I changed my name when I married. My old name bore only painful memories.” She clicked her fingers. “Cerberus, come here, pet.” Adrien and Lila tensed when the huge hound trotted into the room. Marinette pointed to the gap between the two thrones, and the dog settled onto the cushion that rested there for just this reason.

“Wife? When did you two get married?” Lila’s voice was sickly sweet, and her eyes held a disturbing gleam.

“Several months ago. It was a private ceremony, just us and Thanatos, Hecate, and Charon. We didn’t have time nor inclination for some big, flashy, over the top ceremony. Too much to do down here as is.” Felix reminisced, his hand resting atop Marinette’s.

“That’s wonderful! You’re more than welcome to attend the wedding, Queen Persephone!” Adrien was beaming and beginning to glow slightly.

“Let’s get down to business. Hecate.” Felix snapped his fingers, and Allegra appeared in a swirl of lavender mist. She stepped out, holding a tray of precious gems. Behind her came several spirits, carrying heavy trays full of samples of metals and more gems and jewels. Marinette stood, and summoned a long wooden table into the center of the room. The trays were all placed along it, and the spirits vanished. Hecate gave Marinette a deep curtsey, did the same for Felix, and nodded at Adrien and Lila, who’s eyes burned with anger.

“Hecate, my friend, thank you. How goes the newest expansion?” Marinette gave Allegra a long hug, ignoring her guests.

“Well enough, ‘Sephie. Are we still on for lunch next Thursday?” Hecate pulled back, and nodded to Felix.

“Always, ‘Cate. See you then.” Allegra winked at Felix and Marinette before disappearing the way she had come.

“Oh, these are all so lovely!” Lila gushed, running a hand over the peaks of a rather large trillion cut diamond. “Adrien, what do you think?” She was holding a large emerald next to her eyes. “The right shade, or no?”

“It looks great, but it isn’t very traditional.” Marinette walked the length of the table, before choosing a large sphalerite gem, roughly the size of her thumb nail and a vivid orange. “For the next goddess of life and crown princess of Olympus, I would choose this, set in a gold band. Orange and gold, to symbolize your husbands dawn. We could do a vine embellishment along the band as well. It would be quite stunning.” Lila took the stone between her thumb and pointer finger.

“It’s lovely! Oh, we’ll take it!” Lila gushed, twisting the large stone so that it glimmered in the light of the torches. Marinette couldn’t help but roll her eyes. It was actually traditional for the goddess of life to wear a plain gold band with a small jade as the only embellishment, but Lila _had_ set this appointment to look at gems. Adrien slipped his hand into Lila’s, and smiled.

“This one, then. Brother, Queen Persephone, we’ll see you at the wedding.” Stepped forward from where she was waiting by the door. As the only goddess who had unrestricted access to all three realms, she was Adrien and Lila’s ride home. She double clicked the fob to her motorcycle, and it shifted into a Maserati. All three climbed in, and they roared off. Marinette pulled off her veil with a sigh, and rubbed her temples.

“That was the single most stressful moment of my eternal life.” She groaned, and let her head slump back.

“Yes, but now the hard part is over.” Felix stood from his throne and stretched.

“ _That_ was the hard part? We still have to go to the wedding!” Marinette ruffled Cerberus’ ears, pouting.

“Yes, but we’ve established the persona of Persephone. Now all we have to do is get through the wedding and any questions from curious deities who can’t mind their own business.” He snagged a glass of nectar, and took a swig. “If I’m right, you and Claude were planning a prank on Allain, yes?” She sat up and patted all three of Cerberus’ heads and made her way to the exit. Felix watched her leave and sighed. What was he _thinking_?! His _wife_?! Sure, he _wanted_ her to be his wife, but to pretend? How were they going to pull this off? Creation above and below, her former friend and Lila’s maid of honor was the _goddess of truth and journalism_!! This was so chaotic Lady Trixx _herself_ would enjoy it.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette tugged at the veil that covered the lower half of her face, tugging it to reach her chin. She wore a dark gown that started as a sweet heart neckline with a beautiful chain holding it in place as a halter. The material faded from a rich black to a lovely ruby red. She had a low belt made of the same silver as the chain, with a beautiful red crystal rose clasping it in place. The dress had silver shoulder guards embedded with large rubies, and fingerless shoulder length gloves that were made of the same ombre material as her dress. She had her hair in an elaborate braided bun, which was held in place with ruby pins. Perched on top of her head was a circlet of the purest platinum, which Allegra had painted the same red as her dress’ train. It was bejeweled with dozens of rubies and crystal roses. Her nails were painted red, and her slippers were black velvet. Her lips had been painted red with berries behind her dark veil, and her eyes had been traced in kohl Allegra had gotten from Isis, her Egyptian counterpart. Her eyes were green thanks to an enchantment on her crown. Her skin, which had once been tan and glowing, was now paler and freckled. Over all, she was unrecognizable. The only people who would recognize her were those of the Underworld or her Nona.

There was a knocking and Marinette turned from her mirror to open the door. On the other side was Felix, wearing a black toga with silver armor over top. He wore an elaborate platinum crown as well, though his was embedded with black diamonds. He was holding something small in his left hand, and was currently just staring at her.

“How do I look?” She twirled slowly, showing off her dress. He paused for a moment, and cleared his throat.

“Fantastic. I have the last touch here.” He held up a small ring box, and Marinette felt her curiosity piqued. He handed her the box, and Marinette’s hand flew to cover her gasp. The ring was _gorgeous_. Sitting atop an elaborately engraved platinum band was a large cushion cut ruby. Going to halfway around the band from the ruby was several pink and black diamond accents. It was a perfect fit, too, as she slid it onto her left ring finger there was no resistance.

“It’s perfect! How did you get this done in just a year?” Marinette was examining the ring, not seeing how Felix was flustered. In all reality, he had made it ten years ago.

“I have my ways.” He chuckled.

“Fine then, _be_ mysterious. Are you ready to go?” She double checked her reflection, before turning to him.

“Yes. We’ll be taking the carriage, and arriving in front of the palace. The Nightmares are ready and hitched up. Allegra, Claude, and Alain are in the first carriage.” He offered her his arm, and she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. The two swept down the halls of the Palace of the Underworld, looking to all the spirit servants like a true King and Queen.

In the main courtyard were two carriages. The first was plain black with a few swirling embellishments in silver. Hitched to both carriages were two horses native to the Underworld, Nightmares. They were distant cousins to Thestrals, though Felix thought them far better. They were each fifteen hands high, pure gray with pitch-colored manes. Their eyes were blacker than the night sky, and with every stomp of their massive hooves, the cobblestones cracked a little. Felix guided Marinette into the second, grander, carriage. It was black, with silver gilding and dozens of gems of every color scattered over it. The interior was African black wood, with seats made of the softest red velvet, stuffed with goose down. Marinette sat, fretting with her handkerchief as the carriage began to move.

“Relax.” He murmured, setting his hands over hers. Marinette’s eyes, which looked so wrong green, bore into him.

“But…so much could go wrong! Lila is goddess of deceit and lies! Who know how strong her powers are! We don’t know how strong she is! What if someone finds out! What if- “Felix was not thinking straight. (He was. He was thinking that he wanted to calm her down, and he _really_ wanted to know how soft her lips were.) He leaned across the carriage and kissed her. Marinette squeaked before kissing him back. He slipped a hand to the back of her neck, and she braced her hands on his shoulders. After a few minutes, they parted, panting. (Neither needed to breathe, but it was habit.) Marinette giggled, and leaned her forehead against his. He smiled. Her lips were softer than he had imagined. (And imagine he had.)

“I’ve wanted to do that for _fifteen years_.” He whispered, and Marinette giggled.

“I’ve wanted you to do that for almost eighteen.” Felix went redder than the most precious ruby.

“Well, we _will_ be playing husband and wife, we may as well act like it.” He teased. Marinette giggled, and pecked him on the lips.

“We can talk more about _this_ later. Right now, we need to go over our story one more time.” She rubbed her nose against his, and leaned back. “We got married…”

“Fourteen months ago.” Felix replied. “Our anniversary is…”

“March fifteenth.” She shot back. “Our wedding was attended by…”

“Only our closest friends, Allegra, Claude, and Alain.” He ticked off the guests on his fingers. “Who was our officiant?”

“Allegra! I wore _what_ color?” She challenged.

“Your dress was made of pure silver thread, and your ring is the one you have on now.” He smiled when she pouted. They had made a game of reviewing their cover story, which they had worked together with the others to create. “What was the main stone on your engagement ring?”

“A pink diamond. How did you propose?” Felix opened his mouth to answer, only for nothing to come out. “Hah! You forgot! I win!”

“No, I’m just thinking!” He put up a hand. “I remember! I took you on a picnic to the place where we had our first date, and when you got lost in thought I pulled out the ring.” Felix crossed his arms, smirking.

“Doesn’t count.” Marinette booped him on the nose.

“What?!” He squawked.

“You couldn’t answer right away, so it doesn’t count. That means I win this round.”

“No way! I answered in the end! How about this, _how_ did we meet?” She scoffed.

“Easy! Allegra introduced us! Next question!” And so, the game went for the next several hours, the two quizzing each other until they felt the carriage click down. They had been traveling through the hidden passages between realms, ones that few knew of. They exchanged glances, and quickly adjusted their clothes. They had only moments before the ghostly driver knocked on the roof.

“Majesties, we are arriving now. Lords Thanatos and Charon and Lady Hecate will be exiting before you, and you shall be the last guests to arrive.” The driver’s voice was raspy and androgynous, like all spirits.

“Very well.” Felix sighed as he adjusted his toga and bracers. A few moments later, the door to the carriage swung open, and the footman holding it bowed deeply. Felix disembarked first, before turning and offering her a hand.

X0X0X

Sabine was standing by the doors to the Royal Villa, which had been kept open to allow guests to enter. She had heard when Lady Hecate and Lords Charon and Thanatos were announced, and had turned from her conversation with her mother-in-law to watch. Marinette and Felix had told her everything they were planning. It was her job to keep Marinette-as-Persephone company while Felix dealt with his duties as a King. The ghostly footman had done his jobs and Felix had stepped out before extending a hand to the darkened carriage. A pale, delicate hand had emerged, resting atop his. Felix placed a reverent kiss upon it, before stepping aside to let her daughter out. Sabine couldn’t help but gasp. Marinette, nay, _Persephone,_ looked like a true queen. She was dressed in the finest dress Sabine had ever seen, and positively dripping with precious stones. She moved with grace and poise. When she had both feet firmly on the ground, she turned to her husband and smiled. Felix swept into a low bow, and offered her his arm. Marinette slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and the two silently made their way into the villa. The crowd parted before them as they made their way to the platform where the bridal party was seated.

X0X0X

Her heart was hammering in her chest as they moved through the hushed crowd. Marinette did her best to ignore the whispers of those around them. They approached the bride’s dais, and Marinette gently squeezed Felix’s arm. He brought his opposite hand up to cover her’s, and squeezed back just as gently. They finally reached the steps, and Felix handed off their invite to the greeter.

“Presenting, His Majesty, King Felix of the Underworld, and god of all riches beneath the earth! Presenting, Her Majesty, Queen Persephone of the Underworld, Goddess of Flowers!” There were a few snickers at her domain, but Marinette ignored them. She curtsied low before Lila and her bridal party, ignoring the way she was scrutinized by the bride and her two bridesmaids. Alya was directly to her left, with Chloe beside her.

“King Felix, Queen Persephone, welcome to Mount Olympus. It is a pleasure to have you here.” Adrien beamed down at them from his seat on Lila’s right. “Will you be staying the night?”

“No, Lord Apollo. We have many duties to attend to in our realm.” Felix spoke as he rose, keeping his hand over hers.

“Understandable. For now, eat, drink, and be merry!” Adrien stood, and addressed the crowd. “Now that all our honorable guests have arrived, the ceremony will begin in one hour’s time, right at noon. Until then, let us enjoy one another’s company.” Polite applause broke out amongst the crowd, and Marinette felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning, she was relieved to see her Nona.

“Queen Persephone, how have you been?” Her accent was thick, but Marinette could understand her with ease.

“I’ve been quite well, Lady Gina, and you?” Gina waved her hand dismissively.

“Fine, fine. You must meet my daughter-in-law, Lady Hestia! She’s a goddess of family and motherhood, and will be overjoyed to meet you!” Sabine stepped forward and curtseyed.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Persephone.” Sabine beamed at her daughter, and Marinette almost giggled.

“And you, Lady Sabine. Tell me, how fairs your daughter, Marinette? She’s not visited in some time.” A hush went through the crowd. Marinette was not often spoken of.

“She’s well, Your Majesty. She’s living in the human realm right now, traveling.” Marinette nodded sagely.

“I remember my travels of the earth well. Humans have a great deal of variety in culture. Say, have you ever been to a bonfire night? They’re wonderful!” Sabine nodded.

“I attended one a few years back. It was delightful. The food they have is nothing on my husbands, but it is rather good.” And so, it went for a few minutes, until someone else approached. It was Lady Audrey, with her husband, Lord Andre, and daughter with her.

“I am Lady Audrey, and Queen Persephone, I simply _must_ know who made that dress! It is, and I say this rarely, absolutely stunning!” Lady Audrey swept a hand up and down, indicating Marinette’s figure as a whole. Marinette giggled and spun in a circle.”

“I made it myself, Lady Audrey. I must thank you for the high praise.” Lady Audrey looked to her daughter.

“Chloe, introduce yourself.” Chloe stepped forward, and curtseyed deeply.

“I am Lady Chloe, and it is my honor to meet you, Your Majesty.” Marinette marveled for a moment at _Chloe_ of all deities curtseying to _her_.

“Please stand, Lady Chloe. It’s nice to meet you as well.” Chloe beamed.

“Say, have you meet the bride yet?” Lord Andre asked, resting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.

“Yes. She made an appointment almost a year ago to choose a stone for her ring.” Lady Audrey adjusted her glasses.

“What did she choose?” Marinette beamed.

“A lovely sphalerite gem, one of the largest I’ve ever seen. It is quiet exquisite.” Audrey sucked her teeth.

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. That breaks millennia of tradition, however lovely the stone may be.” Chloe’s eyes gleamed, and Marinette almost smirked. Chloe had always been a gossip monger.

“May I be excused? I see Sabrina.” Audrey nodded, waving her hand.

“Go on. Be back later, to introduce the Lady Persephone to some others your age.” Chloe nodded and made her way across the Villa, bursting to share what she had learned.

X0X0X

“Felix.” A voice called from behind him. He turned on his heel to see Lady Natalie, goddess of organization, and his father’s personal assistant. “Your father wishes to see you.” Felix gulped. This was _not_ good…

X0X0X

Marinette tried not to scream upon her fifth introduction where the first question was ‘are you really the goddess of flowers?’. Her Nona had taken on the role of her guardian, and was making introductions for her. Gina was in on the plan, and had been a huge help so far. Then, Chloe came over and grabbed her hand, dragging her to a circle of her former classmates. Chloe dropped her hand, and dared away, probably to gossip more. Alya and Lila were absent, likely getting ready for the ceremony. Nino wasn’t there either. Probably going over his speech.

Rose was the first to step forward, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you after all this time! What’s your favorite flower this week? I love roses, and daisies, and well, all flowers! I spend a lot of time on every new variety, and yours are all so pretty!” Marinette giggled at the petite blonde’s exuberance.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I rather like gladioli and chrysanthemums. They’re both lovely, and are some of the only flowers that grow in the Underworld.” Rose gasped.

“I never even thought about how difficult it must be to garden in the Underworld!” Juleka stepped forward, and whispered something in Rose’s ear. Rose beamed, and wrapped her arm around Juleka. “I just realized I never introduced myself! I’m Rose, and this is my girlfriend, Juleka! I’m goddess of Flowers, and she’s the Goddess of Shadows, Darkness, and Sapphic love!” Juleka waved a little, peaking out from behind her bangs. “This is Luka, Juleka’s older brother, the God of the Moon and Stars.” Luka pressed a light kiss to her knuckles, and Marinette smiled. She used to have the biggest crush on Luka, but had gotten over it not long after meeting Felix. He winked, and she froze. She had forgotten about his ability to hear anyone’s heart song. He had always told her that she had the most beautiful heart song he had ever heard, and that he would always be able to pick it out.

“A pleasure, your Majesty. How fairs Lady Allegra?” Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to out her. Not yet, at least.

“She’s quite well, Lord Luka.” He nodded and stepped back into the crowd, letting Alix glide forward on her skates.

“Nice ta meet ya! Name’s Alix, Goddess of Speed!” She glanced Marinette up and down, before sighing. “You’re not another girly-girl, are ya?” Marinette struggled not to snort.

“Luckily, I’m able to prank like a pro.” Alix raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll see.” She stepped back, and Mylene took her place.

“Hello, Your Majesty. I’m – “

“Lady Mylene, Goddess of Compassion. I’ve heard of you from several spirits. They say that you visit mortals in their last moments when no one else can or will. My husband and I cannot thank you enough. Souls who have someone there at the end are more likely to pass on, instead of becoming ghosts and haunting the living. Ghosts cause a great deal of paperwork.” Mylene blushed heavily, shrinking in on herself, until Ivan placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you, your Majesty. It’s nothing, really. I just can’t bare the thought that anyone would ever be alone in their last moments. This is my husband, Ivan, the God of Strength.” Ivan merely nodded. She nodded back. The two stepped back into the crowd, and Max stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you. As god of information, I was wondering if you could tell me more about your domain. It was my understanding that Rose was the Goddess of Flowers.” He adjusted his spectacles and pulled out a notebook and pen.

“I am Goddess of Mourning Flowers. Lilies, gladioli, carnations, chrysanthemums, orchids, hydrangeas, daffodils, and tulips are some of my more popular creations. I’m rather proud of peace lilies. My domain is actually how I met Allegra, who introduced me to Felix.” Max nodded, and took a few steps away, muttering to himself about nuance in domains and his next research project. Nathaniel took a step forward, shyly.

“Hello. I’m Nathaniel, the God of Art.” He was redder than his hair, and retreated quickly. Marc stepped up.

“I’m Marc, God of Writing. Would you mind telling me how you met Felix? I’m trying to write a love story, but I’m out of inspiration. I’ve asked everyone I know how they met their significant other.” Marinette beamed.

“I was living in a small cottage near the River Styx- “

“BORING!” A voice yelled, and Kim stepped forward. “Hello, beautiful! My name is Kim, god of competition!”

X0X0X

Felix followed Natalie to a shadowed corner, where his father was seated, sipping a flute of nectar, Felix sat, and the two sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, before Gabriel broke the silence.

“Tell me about your…wife.” Gabriel watched his son over the rim of his glass. Felix’s eyes glazed, and his pallid skin flushed.

“She’s everything, Father. She’s kind, and compassionate, and witty, and sarcastic and wonderful. She can bake and cook and sing, and she managed to start a small garden. In the Underworld. Once, I watched her help the soul of a mortal boy who had died of a plague when he was looking for his cat. They spent four hours looking for the cat. Within half an hour, the boy was smiling and giggling. Her eyes shine when she’s happy, and when she gets lost in thought they change colors to match murky waters. When she thinks or focuses really hard, she gets a little wrinkle in between her eyebrows, and her tongue sticks out just a little. Her laughter sounds like tinkling bells, and when she laughs really hard her nose wrinkles a little bit, right on the bridge, and she snorts just the tiniest bit. When I met her, I was frozen. She’s stunning, father. I can’t imagine life without her.” He sighed. “She and Allegra are practically sisters, and her and Claude act like they were separated at birth. Together, she and Alain have pranked Claude at least once a week for the last six years. She had Cerberus giving her rides around the kingdom is just a month. He doesn’t even let me ride on his back, Father. She’s just…perfect.” Felix watched his wife from across the room, his eyes full of warmth and love. Gabriel nodded. That was exactly how he felt about his wife, the Lady Emilie. Yes. This girl, if his son spoke the truth, would be a perfect daughter in law.

Suddenly, Felix stood, chair scraping against the ground.

“Excuse me, father, I need to go.” He grit out, and Gabriel raised an eyebrow. He watched his son go, and nodded in comprehension when he saw what was going on. Kim, the god of competition, was attempting to flirt with Queen Persephone. Gabriel stood, and quickly followed his son, clamping his hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll help you, son. His actions are most uncouth.” Felix shot him an odd look, before nodding. Father and son were striding across the villa, to where Queen Persephone was clearly losing her temper. A small crowd was trying to subtly watch, to see how the young queen would react. When they had reached the edge of the crowd, they were able to hear what Kim was saying.

“You really are lovely. Why you’re married to Hades of all gods is beyond me.” He tried to grab her hand, but she snagged a flute of nectar off a tray, making it so that he couldn’t grab her hand without spilling nectar everywhere.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Lord Kim.” She demurred; eyes narrowed slightly. Felix could see the tension in her shoulders.

“He’s got a stick up his rear, ya know? I can’t imagine ever being stuck with someone like that.” Kim scoffed, before jumping. She had shattered her glass, which was now leaking nectar through her clenched fist. This was going to be fun to watch.

“I’m sorry, ‘stuck’ with him? He is my husband. If I did not wish to be with him, I would not be with him. I have known him TWO DECADES, and he has never been cold or cruel to me. He is kind and sweet and the biggest romantic I’ve ever known. And need I remind you, Lord Kim, my husband is one of the three rulers! He out-stripes you in every possible way. I recommend you learn to think before you speak.” Her voice was sharp and cold, like a dagger of stygian iron. The crowd tittered, as Kim turned red.

Kim opened his mouth to respond, but there was the ringing of a great bell. Adrien was standing on a platform, holding a large bell in one hand.

“Esteemed guests, I ask you all to proceed to the back garden, and find the seat with your name on it! The ceremony will commence in ten minutes!” He poofed away the bell, and turned to lead the procession. Felix slipped through the throngs of deities, and placed his hand on the small of her back.

“It’s me. Let me help you, dearest.” He murmured in her ear, prying her hand open. Marinette hissed, glancing down at the shards embedded in her skin, ichor leaking out of cuts and abrasions. He kissed her pulse point, and vanished the glass. He kissed the back of her palm, healing the many cuts. He gently ran his finger over the cuts in her gloves, repairing them. He then kissed her knuckles, making the stains from ichor and nectar vanish. He tucked her now healed hand into the crook of his elbow, and guided her into the garden.

They passed the deities trying to find their seats, and made their way to the front row. Felix scanned the seats, and found the two chairs next to his father, with Marinette between the two men. Adrien was standing at the altar, beaming to the point he was glowing slightly. Shimmering red glow that grew too bright to look at. When the glare had faded, Queen Tikki was standing, hands folded, behind a rosewood pulpit. Her dress was red, and her blue eyes shimmered with joy. Her delicate wings were folded, tucked against her back, twitching occasionally in excitement. She clasped a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, and addressed the gathering.

“Gods and Goddesses of Olympus! Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the union of the goddess of life and the god of the sun, our future Queen and King! In just two centuries, they will take over ruling Olympus with their chosen council! However, political matters can wait till after the wedding! For now, bring in the bride!”

There was a bright light from the back, and all assembled turned in their seats to see Lila coming down the aisle. Her dress was a shimmering gold, her veil so short it barely covered her eyes. She was smiling demurely, and moving in a way that indicated great anticipation. Marinette clutched Felix’s arm tightly, bracing herself. Her bond with Adrien was weak, barely a frayed thread, but this ceremony was bound to snap it completely. This was going to hurt.

Lila reached the altar, and handed her bouquet to Alya. She ascended the stairs with grace, and clasped Adrien’s hands in her own. Queen Tikki giggled a bit, before setting a hand on Lila’s shoulder.

“A very funny joke, Lady Lila, but where is Princess Marinette? Come now, send in the bride!” Tikki returned her gaze to the doors from whence Lila had emerged, before frowning. She turned to Adrien. “Where is she? Can someone go check on the bride? It’s likely just a few pre-wedding jitters.” Lila grit her teeth in a smile, before placing a hand over Queen Tikki’s, which still rested on her shoulder.

“Queen Tikki? Have you grown ill? It’s me, Lila, the next Goddess of Life and Creation.” Tikki scowled, and ripped her hand away.

“You _dare_ attempt to deceive _me_? I have been Queen longer than you have been _alive,_ girl! Tell me, _where is Marinette_?!” Tikki’s scarlet hair was beginning to float, her eyes shining a cold cobalt. Lila attempted to step away, but Tikki grabbed her by the elbow in a vice-like grip.

“No one knows! When she was outed as the Goddess of Lies and Deceit twenty years ago, she ran away!” Alya burst out, clearly scared.

“ _What…did you just say?_ ” Tikki’s gaze turned from the struggling Lila to Alya, who’s eyes snapped to meet the Queen’s.

“She was outed as the Goddess of Lies and Deceit, so she ran away. Had she even told us, we could have forgiven her eventually, but she ran away. Lila told us she was planning to lie, and pretend to be the next Goddess of Life and Creation. Not like we would have fallen for it anyway.” Alya scoffed. Tikki growled, before taking a deep breath. She dropped Lila, who landed on her rear. Before the girl could stand, Tikki snapped her fingers, and Lila was cuffed by her wrists the altar.

“Trixx!” She called, the single syllable ringing through the air. A shimmering ball of orange appeared next to Queen Tikki, before morphing into a woman with auburn hair and purple eyes, wearing an orange chiton. She had a fluffy fox’s tail, and long, pointed ears, tipped with black.

“What’s the matter, Tikki?” The principality of Illusion, Lies, and Deceit asked, glancing around. “Where’s your successor? This is her wedding, is it not?”

“Apparently _not_.” Tikki spat. “Your successor decided that she was unhappy with the honor that had been bestowed upon her, and wanted what was not hers.” Trixx frowned in confusion before her eyes widened, her ears pinned back against her head. She wheeled on her heel, baring her teeth at the cowering Lila.

“What did I tell you?” Lila just cowered away, and Trixx growled low in her throat. “I warned you not to try to deceive other principalities, least of all those older than you! You foolish girl! Where has she gone?” Trixx asked Tikki, eyes full of worry and concern.

“They don’t know.” Tikki crossed her arms, glaring at the assembled. “Lord Thomas, Lady Sabine, come here.” From the back row, her parents rose, making their way up the aisle, hands clasped tight. “Where is your daughter?” Her Papa frowned, glaring at Adrien. He, like his wife, was in on the plan, and all for it. No one hurt his daughter.

“She is safe and happy, your Majesty.” Tikki sighed, shoulders slumping.

“Very well. I will expect a _full_ report on her whereabouts later. Trixx, take them to a guest room in the palace, and warn Plagg.” Trixx nodded, and curtseyed slightly. She set a hand on each of her parent’s shoulders, and disappeared the way she had come. Lila, fool that she was, tried to salvage the situation.

“Tikki, please! She’s gotten to you too! _I’m_ the next Goddess of Life and Creation! You gave me my first domain a ye- “Lila was cut off with a sharp slap. Her head snapped to the side, and her hand went to her reddening cheek.

“As Trixx warned you, _filth_ , your powers have no effect on those older or more powerful than you. I will deal out your punishment later.” Tikki snapped her fingers, and a heavy muzzle clamped over Lila’s mouth. Tikki wheeled on Adrien, hair floating, wings flaring.

“You shall face punishment as well, Adrien, future principality of the sun. You should have been easily able to tell the truth.” She snapped, and Adrien was cuffed like his precious bride.  Tikki wheeled to face assembly once more.

“Did _none_ of you see the earth dying? Crops wilting, humans dying, disease and plague spreading? I had just assumed my dear Marinette had yet to gain full control of her power, but to hear she has been chased out by you fools? I am disgusted with all of you. For now, until I know the full extent of this matter, you will all be placed under house arrest. No one leaves the mountain except the foreign royals and Lady Gina, as she will need to act as messenger. Everyone go home. This wedding is over.” The queen spun on her heel, her cloak flaring out behind her as she vanished. 

This was _not_ how Marinette had pictured this going…


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette stayed in her seat, watching and listening. Felix had grabbed her elbow, and was clearly trying to find a way out. Marinette jumped when she felt someone grab her shoulder from behind. She twisted, to see Juleka with one arm around an inconsolable Rose. The dark goddess shot her a pleading look, and Marinette understood. Juleka was never the best with emotion, and needed help. She set on hand in Felix’s wrist, before leaning in to whisper.

“I need to help Juleka. Take the chance to find a way out, and find the others.” He nodded, still searching desperately for his friends. She stood and looped around to reach her fellow goddesses, before setting a hand on Rose’s back. “Rose, it’s Persephone. Do you need to be distracted?” The sobbing goddess nodded, and Marinette reached into her pocket and grabbed her notebook. She flipped a few pages, and gently turned Rose by her shoulder. “Take a look.” Rose glanced at the book, and her eyes grew wide. Sketched on the page was a pink flower, with dozens of tear-drop shaped petals, layered in concentric circles.

“It’s so pretty.” The delicate goddess sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. Marinette pulled out her handkerchief, and Rose dabbed at her eyes. “I’ve never seen this kind of flower before.”

“It’s called a lotus, it’s my favorite of the ones I’m working on. Would you lie to see the others?” Rose nodded, smiling weakly. Marinette flipped the page again, revealing a trio of blue trumpet-shaped flowers. “These are azaleas. I’m planning on there being multiple colors.” Rose studied the page for a moment, and smiled.

“They’re so pretty.”

“Thank you. These,” She turned the page again, and handed Rose the book. “are cyclamen.” The triangular flowers were purple, with long, thin petals. Rose stared down at the paper, before glancing at Marinette.

“Can I show these to Marc? He would love to see these.” Marinette internally winced. She _really_ needed to get out of here, but if she said no, then Rose may start crying again. Marinette had never been good when people cried, but Rose was usually so bubbly that it hurt to see her upset. She nodded, and Rose stood, looking around. She spotted Marc sitting in the corner. She grabbed Marinette and headed across the room. If not for her red face and puffy eyes, she looked her usual happy self. Marc looked up from where he had been sketching, and smiled at Rose.

“Marc, look at what Persephone showed me! Aren’t they all lovely?” Rose handed Marc the book, and he studied the sketch of the cyclamen. Before he could say anything, Rose turned the page, all the way back to the lotus. He looked at it, before she turned the page to the azalea drawing.

“These are amazing, your majesty! Where did you learn to draw like this?” He gushed, green eyes sparkling.

“I learned from my mother. She was a wonderful artist. Unfortunately, she faded several decades ago. Her domain was small, and she just didn’t have enough believers.” Rose gasped, and tackled Marinette in a hug.

“Oh, that’s _awful_ , Persephone!” Marinette patted Rose on the head, and smiled down at her.

“It’s okay, she was in a lot of pain. Really, I’ve come to terms with it.” Rose hesitated, before seeming to accept this.

“Rose!” Someone called from across the room. The trio turned around, to see Luka waving them over. They all crossed the room, to where most of her class was gathered in a huddle. Nino was up at the altar, where Adrien was sitting with his head in his hands. Juleka was chatting quietly with her brother, who seemed disturbed. Mylene, Alix and Nathaniel were all murmuring to each other. Chloe was just watching everyone, making the odd sly comment to Sabrina. Max was consulting with Marco, a golem he had made several decades ago, while Kim was trying to catch Chloe’s eye. Ivan was just standing behind Mylene, silent as ever. Alya was ranting loudly, pacing back and forth.

“- and we fell for it! It’s all Adrien’s fault!” She screamed, wheeling to point at the shocked blond.

“Hey! You’re the Goddess of Truth, you should have known she was lying!” He shot back.

“You’re the one with the bond to Marinette!” Alya huffed.

“The bond didn’t solidify on my end till a month ago! That’s just how it works!”

“You’re both wrong!” Chloe yelled. “It was _everyone’s fault_!” All of the deities in the courtyard turned to face the angry goddess, who was standing with her arms crossed and her hip popped.

“What do you mean, Chloe?” Sabrina asked.

“NONE of us, none, asked Lila if she was telling the truth, or even looked for Dupain-Cheng! We didn’t even ask her parents if she was okay! She could be really hurt, or hidden so well we’ll never find her, and we have no clue! If she dies, so does the earth and all the mortals! If the mortals all die, so do we!” She snapped, clearly furious. “I don’t care what the rest of you do, but I’m going back home! I’m going to scry and see if I can locate Dup- Marinette.” She whirled on her heel, and grabbed Sabrina by the wrist. Before they left, she paused, calling over her shoulder. “ _If_ we find her, we all need to be ready to grovel. If it was me, I wouldn’t forgive any of you.” She resumed her determined march, and Marinette frantically tried to look around for Felix. She saw him standing by the door with the others, watching. She gently tapped a shaken Rose on the shoulder, and gave her a quick hug.

“I have to go, as is we’ve been away from the underworld too long. I’ll write to you later.” Rose nodded, and squeezed Marinette tight. The flower goddesses parted, and Marinette hurried over to her group. She slid her hand into the crook of Felix’s elbow, and shook her head at Allegra’s concerned look.

X0X0X

The quintet hurried across the villa, heading for their carriages. Claude, Alain, and Allegra had just climbed into theirs when Marinette was yanked back by her elbow. She yelped, and struggled not to fall on her rear.

“Persephone!” Alya yelled from where she was clutching Persephone’s arm. “Sabine said you’ve seen Marinette! You _have_ to tell us where she is!”

“Release my wife _at once_!” Felix growled, grabbing Alya’s wrist in a crushing grip.

“Not until she tells me where Marinette is!” Alya shot back, tightening her hold. Persephone grimaced at how tight it was.

“I am not _obligated_ to tell you anything!” Persephone spat.

“We need to know where Marinette is! She has to marry Adrien by winter solstice!” Alya yelled. Felix’s other hand reeled back, preparing to slap the dark-skinned goddess. Alya’s grip suddenly went lax, and Persephone scrambled to get away. Claude caught her, wrapping her in his cloak.

“ENOUGH!” Allegra bellowed, throwing her arms wide. Allain was standing behind her, arms crossed.

“Listen here, _fool_.” Allegra hissed, prowling towards the frozen Alya. “The _QUEEN_ owes you _nothing,_ not an explanation, not information, not a moment of her time! Lady Marinette is somewhere safe and happy, where she never has to see your traitorous faces again!” While Allegra tore strips off of Alya, Claude and Alain bundled Persephone into her carriage.

“You okay?” Alain asked, looking at the rapidly forming bruise on her arm.

“I’ll be fine.” Persephone assured him, craning her neck to look outside the carriage. What she saw was not relieving.

X0X0X

Felix had _almost_ gotten the five of them out, when he had felt Persephone’s hand yanked from his. He had wheeled around, only to see his love being held captive by the betrayer. She had looked at him, panic in her eyes that were starting to leak blue. The betrayer had started making demands, and he had seen red.

“Release my wife _at once_!” He had growled, his hand had lashing out, clamping the betrayer’s wrist in a punishing grip.

“Not until she tells us where Marinette is!” The betrayer _dared_ to screech at him.

“I am not _obligated_ to tell you anything!” His love had spat as she wriggled and twisted, trying to get free.

“We need to know where Marinette is! She has to marry Adri- “He stopped listening, and reared his hand back to strike the fool. The familiar feel of Allegra’s magic washed over him, dropping his hand to his side. He saw Claude wrap his love in his cloak, and relaxed a little, knowing that his surrogate brothers would protect her.

“Listen here, _fool_.” His surrogate sister hissed, her magic whipping her hair about. “The _QUEEN_ owes you _nothing,_ not an explanation, not information, not a moment of her time!” Felix felt movement return to his limbs. “Lady Marinette is somewhere safe and happy, where she never has to see your traitorous faces again!” Claude and Alain hurried his love into their carriage, and he saw her trying to watch what was happening.

Allegra had Alya still frozen, and was staring at her.

“Am I understood?” Allegra growled.

“She _has_ to tell us! If Marinette and Adrien don’t get married, the mortals will die, and so will all of us!” Alya raged. Allegra cackled, and Felix smirked. Claude and Alain chuckled.

“ _Wrong._ ” Felix sneered. “Those of you who live on Olympus will die. _We_ ,” He gestured at their little group of five. “will live on. After all, any who die enter my realm. With every mortal who perishes, my realm expands.”

“That can’t be right!” Alya whimpered. “All deities rely on mortal worship!”

“What mortal would worship a god of death? Or any of his servants?” Allegra giggled. “Our power comes from those who enter our King’s realm. Our souls were crafted as such.”

“Come, Allegra. We’re done here. Nothing but traitors anyway.” Felix glared at Alya, who trembled a little. He spun dramatically, his cloak swirling behind him as he made his way to the carriage. Claude and Alain stepped aside, bowing low. He stepped in the carriage, glaring at the shaken Alya as the door swung shut.

X0X0X

The moment the door was shut, Persephone dove for Felix, flinging her arms around his neck. He carefully pulled her so she was sitting across his lap, and carefully rubbed up and down her spine.

“I’m here, darling.” He murmured, hugging her close.

“I-I was so _scared_!” She sobbed.

“I know, but we’re almost out. We’ll be home in a few hours, and then you can spend time in the garden, or work in your study, or play with Cerberus.”

“That sounds nice.” She sniffled. “I have some new flowers I want to make.”

“I remember, darling. You showed me the rough designs a while ago. I’m sure they’ll turn out lovely.” She merely nodded, and rested her head against his chest. Within a few minutes, she nodded off, and Felix soon joined her.

X0X0X

“Tikki!” Her husband called from his throne. “What the Tartarus happened?” His ears were pinned against his skull, and his tail was lashing back and forth.

“Lila, Trixx’s former apprentice, decided that it would be a good idea to deceive all of Olympus.” She growled. “The girl managed to use her powers on everyone, making them think _she_ was my successor!” She ran a hand through her hair, her wings twitching. “She somehow convinced everyone that my dear Marinette is the next goddess of lies and deceit! I nearly erased them all!”

“Sugar cube, you need to calm down.” He said, hugging her. “Do we know where Marinette is?”

“Officially? No. Apparently, she ran away nearly twenty years ago!” She gnashed her teeth, furious.

“And unofficially?”

“She was there. In disguise, of course. She had Allegra’s magic clinging to her. She was going by ‘Persephone’, and was pretending to be Felix’s wife.” Plagg snorted.

“Go Felix. That explains why he hasn’t invited me to visit as much in the last two decades. He’s been hiding her in his domain. Why do you say they were only pretending to be married?”

“They didn’t have a bond like they would if they were married, but I’m sure if you asked Pollen, I’m sure she would say they were headed for a wedding soon.” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “We need to call the council, and prepare for an investigation.”


	7. Chapter 7

They council had convened, all of them sitting in their thrones. Tikki and Plagg were at each other’s sides, at the top of the ‘u’ shape formed by the seats of power. All sixteen principalities had made it, from Longg to Sass.

“Tikki, why did you call the full council?” Pollen, principality of love and beauty, asked, wings twitching slightly.

“We have a major issue.”  Trixx growled. Plagg scoffed.

“A ‘ _major issue_ ’? Trixx, me running out of camembert is a ‘major issue’, this is _much_ bigger.”

“What could be worse than no cheese?!” Mullo, goddess of loyalty squeaked, her hands clasped to her cheeks.

“Marinette is not on Olympus.” Tikki said, sending the room into an uproar.

“WHAT?!” Orikko, god of watchfulness, crowed.

“Where is she?” Sass, god of rebirth, hissed.

“We _believe_ she’s in the underworlds, with my successor.” Plagg sighed.

“But she’s the goddess of _life_ , she can’t stay there or everything will die!” Noroo, principality of the sun and change, yelped.

“How did she even get there?” Longg, god of the elements, growled, smoke pumping from his nostrils.

“We don’t know _how_ she got there, but we do know _why_ she left.” Trixx growled. She snapped her fingers, and a small section of the floor began to rise, revealing it to be the top of a cage used to hold criminals awaiting trial. Inside the cage sat Lila, still wearing her wedding gown, looking to all the world like a scared young girl. “My successor wasn’t content with the honor of her position, so she used her gifts on her peers. She convinced all of them that _she_ was Tikki’s heiress, and Marinette was mine. I have stripped her of my gifts, and she’s been waiting in the cage for a few hours. Duusu, dear, I’m sorry to say your heiress fell the easiest for Lila’s lies, and continued to defend her even after the truth was made known.”

“I had known Alya was weak, but I am…most disappointed in her. We’ll have to talk.” The principality of truth and justice sighed. “For now, let us judge Lila.” There was a murmur of consensus as the other deities agreed. The principalities rose from their seats and formed a circle around Lila. Duusu stood in front of Lila’s cage, and pressed a hand to the bars, which melted away, leaving Lila chained to the floor. Duusu crouched and pressed her forehead to Lila’s clutching the girl’s chin in a bruising grip when she tried to rear back. The small bhindi on Duusu’s forehead glowed, and the two stayed like that, staring into each other’s eyes, for a few moments, before Duusu pulled away with a gasp, eyes watering.

“She didn’t use her powers beyond the first month.” She sobbed. “Out successors could have broken the spell at any time, were they only loyal to Marinette.”

“This…this changes a lot.” Tikki sighed. “We have a lot to do.”

X0X0X

Marinette was, in a word, _stressed_. It had been a week since the wedding, and no-one had tried to take her away, _yet_. She had just been summoned - as Persephone – to Felix’s office. She had barely had time to grab her crown and put it on before she reached the room, and slowly pushed open the double doors. She nearly screamed when she saw King Plagg sitting in a plush armchair in front of Felix’s desk. Felix was standing beside the fire place.

“Hello, your majesty.” She curtseyed low, trying not to panic.

“Rise, Queen Persephone.” She stood, calming. He clearly wasn’t aware of who she used to be. “Or, do you prefer ‘Marinette’?” Scratch that.

“How-how do you know about that?!” She felt her hands start to shake, and suddenly Felix was beside her, an arm around her waist.

“Plagg, you are like a father to me, but you will _not_ take her from me.” Felix stepped in front of her, his sword materializing in his hand, the stygian iron blade glinting in the light.

“Relax, kid, I’m not gonna try to take her from you. I’m here to offer some advice, and ask a few questions. First off, the questions.” He snapped his fingers, reconfiguring the furniture. He was now seated behind Felix’s desk, and the two were seated on a loveseat across from him. Marinette blushed heavily and scrambled to the side when she realized she had been deposited in Felix’s lap. He was red in the face like her, though he was staring straight ahead, back ram-rod straight. She buried her face in her hands, rambling under her breath. Plagg just smirked, crossing his legs casually.

“Sorry, Tikki has always been better at teleporting.” Felix just grabbed Marinette’s hand, drawing it away from her face and gently running his hand up and down her spine. “First question, how in creation’s name did you two wind up meeting?”

And so, they dove into the story, recounting how they had meet, from her growing the grotto (she now went there for alone time), to their first dinner together (which was now a weekly tradition for all members of their little family) to how they began courting.

“Sound good. The others on the council will be happy you weren’t kidnapped or some such nonsense.” Plagg yawned, aching his back like a cat. “Now, how long have you two been courting?”

“About three years.” Persephone replied.

“That’s a long courting process, especially for those of your station. Felix, I’m sure you’re aware, is _technically_ supposed to marry the next goddess of lies and deceit. However, she’s currently being held prisoner in the palace, for her crimes against Marinette.”

“WHAT?!” Marinette yelled. “You’re supposed to marry _her_?” She was pale as a ghost.

“Sit down, kid, I’m getting to that. I need to know a few more things before we get to the ‘advice’ part of all this. Felix, do you have a ring and crown made?” He nodded, walking around the desk and opening a drawer. He pulled out a box made of amaranth wood, stained an even richer purple than it naturally was.

“I’ve had it for about two years.” He muttered, staring at the floor.

“Felix…” Marinette murmured.

“Good, that makes my job easier. I’ll step out for a moment and let you two have the mushy moment you need.” He shoved himself up from the chair, sighing as his tail flicked about. He stalked out of the room, leaving the couple alone.

X0X0X

Felix had just set the box down on his desk, when Marinette tackled him in a hug. He swung her around, and set her down in his desk chair, but she grabbed the collar of his toga and pulled him in for a kiss.

“You don’t even have to ask.” She breathed when they had broken apart. “You know my answer is yes.”

“I _do_ have to ask, though. I’ve had it planed for _months_. I was planning to propose at the grotto, on the anniversary of the day we met. It was only a few weeks away, but I feel now is just as good.” He groped around on the table until he felt the latch of the box, and flipped it open, turning his head slightly to grab the ring. It was lovely, and matched the crown and earrings perfectly. It was rose gold, with a large round ruby in the middle, surrounded by flawless diamonds. The band was decorated with flowers and vines, and at the center of each flower was another perfect diamond. He dropped down to one knee, taking her left hand into his own.

“Marinette,” He began. “we’ve known each other for almost fifteen years now, and every day with you has been perfect. We’ve only been courting three years, but I’ve known since the first month that I wanted you to be my wife. So, I ask you this not as a king or god, but as someone who loves you with all his heart. Will you marry me?” Marinette dove out of the chair, tackling him again and pinning him to the ground in a deep kiss.

“ _Yes_.” She whispered, sliding the ring onto her finger. It fit like a glove, and both of them glowed a slight silver color. Felix sat up and helped her up as well. There was a knock on the door, and she quickly tugged her dress so that it was sitting properly. Felix opened the door, clearing his throat.

“We done with the mushy stuff? Yes? Great, advice time!” Plagg sauntered into the room and flopped sideways into the desk chair. “My advice is simple. Queenie, you’ve been going by ‘Persephone’ for a while, right?” She nodded, holding Felix’s hand.

“Almost a year now, as practice for the wedding. I actually much prefer it to Marinette, or even Kore.” He nodded sagely.

“With a little help from Allegra, we can make that your True Name, and you’ll no longer be fate-bound to marry Adrien. Then, with Tikki officiating, you two can get hitched, that way the idiots on Olympus won’t be able to kidnap you and make you marry him anyway. It’s only really tradition that you marry the brat anyway, same as Felix and the liar. The traditions were set by your predecessors, about fifty planets ago.” Persephone nodded, brain processing.

“How long will it take to do all of that?” She asked worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“A month, max, two weeks if we’re quick. We can get the whole ‘True Name’ thing done easily, if you wanna call for Allegra.” Felix nodded and snagged a piece of parchment and a quill from his desk, jotting a quick note. He folded it into a paper crow and tapped it twice, making it fly away towards Allegra’s manor.

“Done, she’ll be here soon.”

“Good. Tikki can come officiate the wedding next week.” Persephone beamed. She would be safe soon enough.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT! CHAPTER 5 HAS BEEN ADDED TO, PLEASE GO BACK AND REREAD IT!!!

 

It had been twenty minutes, and everyone was in place. Marinette wore a plain white toga and nothing else, barefoot with her hair tumbling down her back. She strode towards Allegra’s reflection pool, and waded in up to her knees. She stood as still as she could while Allegra scattered herbs atop the water around her.

Allegra then painted a series of runes across his beloved’s brow, before beginning to chant in the language of the gods. Most of the time, deities spoke in a mortal tongue of their choosing, to avoid saying the wrong word and speaking something into existence on accident. Chloe had once sneezed while saying ‘beaver’ in the godly tongue and made the platypus, something she would never admit to. The chanting grew louder and faster, before it came to a stop. Marinette visibly tensed when she felt Allegra’s hand on the back of her neck, right before her head was dunked under the water. Marinette flailed and thrashed, and he leapt forward to grab her. He slammed into Plagg’s outstretched arm, before Claude restrained him.

“Calm down, Kid. It’s part of the True-Name ritual. We’ve gotta rinse away the old her, and baptize her in her True Name. That’s what the herbs ‘nd stuff were for. She’ll come up in a minute or so.” Plagg stood directly in front of Felix, blocking his sight of his beloved being held under the water by a teary Allegra. He tried to calm his breathing and focus, but he kept snapping his mind back to his beloved, thrashing and struggling for air. They, as deities, couldn’t _die_ , per say, but they could still be traumatized or hurt. He didn’t calm down until he heard a great splash and a gasp.

“Begone, Marinette, daughter of Tom and Sabine, of the unknown domain.” Allegra sighed.

“We welcome you, Persephone, daughter of none, Goddess of Life!” Plagg incanted, helping a trembling Persephone out of the pond. She accepted the thick blanket Allain handed her, wrapping it around her shoulders. Felix ripped himself away from Claude and bolted forward, wrapping Persephone tight in his cape and clutching her to his chest.

“Fe, I’m fine.” She murmured, burying her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes more, before parting.

“What now?” Persephone asked, gazing up at the gems he had spent months encrusting into the underside of the earth, making it look like stars. She had once told him that she loved the stars, and wasn’t sure if she could stay in the underworld without them. He had originally put them up on a whim, but now he felt it was something much deeper. Like part of him already knew part of her, and wanted to welcome it.

“Now that you’re safe from scrying, we can bring you to the Palace. It wasn’t safe before, since anyone scrying for Marinette could see you.” Plagg shrugged. “Now we can host you as guests of Tikki and I, and keep you safe in case anyone makes the connection. You can have a few days to pack, then you’ll need to come to the palace and have Tikki and or Pollen perform a simple ceremony. I’ll be back in three days, all of you will need to be ready. Persephone nodded.

“We will, your majesty. And again, we can’t thank you enough.” Plagg scoffed.

“No need. After all, you’re marrying the brat who’s practically my son. That makes you family.”

XOXOX

Three days later, the quintet was standing at the base of the massive stair case that lead above ground. None of them dared to speak, too nervous to try and break the silence. The roar of an engine echoed down the stairs, and Persephone beamed when she saw her Nona’s bike flying down the staircase. Gina screeched to a halt, dropping the kickstand and hoping off as she tugged off her helmet. Persephone stepped forward into her grandmother’s arms, beaming.

“Hello, my little fairy. Or should I call you Queen Persephone.” Gina teased, booping Persephone on the nose.

“For you Nona, it’s always little fairy.” Persephone giggled. “Besides, I’m not queen yet.”

“Bah! You’ve helped Felix with his duties for ages, if what you’ve told me is true, my little fairy. Now, let’s go! The Queen and King are expecting you all!” Gina pulled a fob out of her pocket and clicked a button, making the bike stretch and morph into a small bus. Claude and Allain piled their bags and trunks into the back, while Felix helped Persephone inside. Allegra was triple checking her hip bag, to be sure she had all of her things. Felix tugged Persephone to a pair of seats and pulled up the arm rest separating them, before sitting and tugging her to sit tucked next to him.

“Take a nap, Fe.” She muttered, summoning a blanket large enough to cover both of them from her sub-space pocket. “You look exhausted, and we have a long trip ahead of us.”

“Just for a few minutes.” He sighed, leaning his head on top of hers. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep, breathing little raspy breaths, curled around Persephone.

XOXOX

As they arrived on Olympus, Gina glanced back, smiling at what she saw. Allegra was dozing between her brothers, and Persephone and Felix were cuddled up under a dark green blanket.

“My fairy, it’s time.” She murmured, gently shaking the girl by her shoulder.

“Hmm. Two more minutes.” Persephone grumbled, snuggling her cheek into Felix’s chest.

“Come now, my fairy. The King and Queen are expecting you.”

“Mph. _Fine_.” Persephone slowly sat up, groaning. “Fe,” She whispered, tapping her fiancé on the shoulder. “we’re here. Time to get up.” Felix slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light of the above-ground.

“I suppose it is. Wake up the others?” He sighed, cracking his back.

“You just don’t want to wake up Claude.” She giggled, folding the blanket and stowing it away.

“Who would _want_ to wake him up?” Felix snorted, standing. Gina smiled at their dynamic. Felix was _far_ better for her little fairy than that nasty Adrien boy. Persephone nodded a little to the left, a habit she had clearly picked up from Felix. She reached into the picnic basket the boys had stowed in the back and pulled out a tray of croissants that Allegra had enchanted to stay warm. She picked out a chocolate one and waved it in front of Claude’s face. “Claude.” She sing-songed. “Foooood! It’s time to be awake! We’re at the palace.” Claude, without opening his eyes, reached out and tried to grab the steaming croissant. Persephone pulled it back out of his reach, and he glared at her through barely open eyes.

“Gimme.” He grunted.

“Hmmm,” Persephone tapped her chin, as if deep in thought. “nope! Time to be awake, mister!”

“Nooooo!” He moaned, throwing an arm over his eyes.

“I _will_ eat the croissants, Claude.” Persephone threatened. He sat bolt-right up and snatched the treat out of her hand, taking a large bite.

“Mine!” He hissed around the mouthful of chocolate and pastry, sending crumbs down the front of his toga.

“Good morning to you, too.” Allegra grumbled from where she had been laying with her head on Allain’s lap and her feet on Claude’s. Her feet had fallen to the floor when Claude had snagged the treat from Persephone. She reached up and flicked Allain on the cheek, making him jolt awake. She rolled off the boys’ laps, standing and bending into a frankly eerie back-bend to stretch out her back. Some days, Persephone was _seriously_ freaked out by how bendy her best friend was.

“C’mon, dorks. Time to meet the King and Queen.” Persephone took a deep breath and grabbed Felix’s hand. She could do this. _They_ could do this.


	9. Chapter 9

Persephone let Felix go down the stairs of the bus before her, and he guided her down the steps with one hand cradling hers. It was only reasonable, since she was in heels. She wobbled a little on the last step before pitching forward. Felix quickly grabbed her waist and swung her about, setting her on her feet in front of him.  
“Are you alright, dearest?” He asked, keeping his hands on her waist.  
“I’m fine, love.” She pecked him on the lips, smiling. “Let’s go.” She tapped his wrist where it sat at her waist, and he merely stepped forward, wrapping one arm around her waist to tuck her into his side.  
“Screw propriety, I’m keeping you close.” He muttered to her as Allegra and Claude squabbled over who would be walking beside Marinette and who would be walking behind her.  
“Allegra, Claude.” Persephone called, shutting both up as they turned to face their queen-to-be. “You three are behind us, Felix and I technically outrank you, so we have to go first.”  
“Oh.” Claude muttered.  
“Darn.” Allegra grumbled. All three fell in behind their rulers, as they ascended the steps of the Celestial Palace.  
X0X0X  
Tikki greeted them at the top of the stairs, not with words of kindness, but by sweeping Persephone into a tight hug.  
“I am overjoyed that you are well, dear.” She murmured in her ear. She pulled back, keeping her hands on Persephone’s shoulders. “Let me look at you. Oh, you’ve come into yourself, dear.” This time, she spoke aloud, so that the smattering of court members nearby could hear. “I’m so happy to be officiating this momentous occasion. The pavilion is prepared, and the Dupain-Cheng’s are ready to start a cake exactly how you want. They’re waiting for you in the kitchen.” Tikki flashed her a wink, smiling mischievously.  
“Let’s head there now, dearest.” Felix decided. She nodded and snapped her fingers, summoning her personal servants. They were the spirits of young women who had passed in childbirth, the exact moment of life and death unifying. Claude had gifted her control over them as an early wedding present. A brunette (Sophia was her name; she had died birthing a daughter - named for her mother – a decade ago, who Allegra let her scry for sometimes. The girl was nine now, and loved music.) nodded to her queen and picked up Persephone’s bags, while a blonde (Adara. She had been the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and died a few moments after her son was born. Her son Basil had lived to be eighty, and served Greece well as a general. The two visited in the Isles of the Blessed every week, along with Basil’s children.) scooped up Felix’s bag and case.  
“If the palace servants could show my handmaidens where to drop off our things, I would be grateful, Queen Tikki.” She said, and both spirits curtsied.  
“Of course.” Tikki nodded, and a pair of sprites whisked the women away. “Aesop here will show you the way.” A male sprite with vivid orange hair stepped forward and bowed low, before turning and making his way into the palace. Persephone waved to Allegra, Claude and Allain and followed, arm in arm with Felix.  
X0X0X  
Persephone barely waited until Aesop was out of the room to bodily fling herself into her mother’s arms. Her Papa scooped them both up, holding them tight. Felix stood by the door, feeling awkward until Sabine cleared her throat.  
“Get over here. You are about to be our son, that means you join the darn family hug.” Persephone reached back and grabbed his hand, yanking him forward. After a few moments, Felix relaxed, in the first motherly hug he had really gotten since his mother faded. They pulled apart after a few minutes, and Felix blushed a little as he straightened his robes.  
“Now, I know just what kind of cake my little girl wants!” Tom decreed, clapping his hands. “Strawberry cake, pomegranate filling, and dark chocolate buttercream with chocolate fondant!”  
“You remembered!” Persephone cooed, still standing close to her mother, with her head resting on Sabine’s shoulder.  
“Of course! You asked for it for every birthday!” Something in Felix preened at that. Pomegranates were a rare fruit, but they grew especially well in the underworld, and they were his personal favorite as well.  
“Is that alright with you, love?” Persephone asked, turning to face him.  
“Of course, dearest. It sounds fantastic.” He assured her, taking her hand in his.  
“If you’d like, we can also do a geode design. We’d carve away part of the cake and coat the raw edges with rock candy.” Sabine added.  
“Oh! And we could frost gold veins on the fondant layer!” Tom was getting excited, and had grabbed his sketchbook to begin planning. Sabine gave her daughter a quick hug before stepping over to help her husband and other half.  
“We’ve lost them.” Persephone whispered to him.  
“Oh?”  
“When they get this excited about a cake, they tend to spend hours working without coming up for air working. Let’s go walk the gardens.” She tugged his hand, leading him towards the door. “Maman, Papa, we’re going to leave you to work, love you!” She called over her shoulder.  
“Alright dear, love you too! Tom what if we…” Sabine called back, and Marinette giggled, before opening the door to reveal Aesop, waiting on them. “Aesop, could you show us to the Palace Gardens?”  
“Of course, Lady Persephone.” He bowed, and turned to begin leading the way. When Persephone turned to smile at him from behind her gauzy veil, blue eyes shimmering, he felt his heart flutter. He couldn’t wait for the wedding.


	10. Chapter 10

They had been in the palace for five days, five _very_ busy days. Altogether, they had had maybe an hour to relax together. Allegra, Claude, and Allain were busy as well, running back and forth between the underworld and the heavens, trying to make sure that everything was still running while Persephone and Felix were making last minute wedding plans.

The dress Persephone had brought with had kept her up every night, sewing by the light of enchanted lanterns. It would be exquisite, but it was taking far too long to finish. At this rate, it would be done the night before the wedding, but only just. She pricked her finger for the thirteenth time in the last hour and cursed, shoving the ichor-coated digit into her mouth. Once she was sure the ichor had stopped, she carefully inspected the pearlescent lace to ensure it wasn’t stained.

Persephone heaved a sigh and slowly stood from where she had been seated on the floor. She had been given a side room to work on the dress in, so that if Felix stopped by, he wouldn’t accidentally see the dress. It would be perfect, _if_ she could finish it. Yawning so hard her jaw let out a satisfying crack, she stretched out her arms and made her way to her bedchambers to get some sleep. She only had a few hours till dawn, and she had another busy day ahead.

X0X0X

Dawn came far too early. It felt like she had only just closed her eyes when there was a knocking at her door.

“’Sephie?” Allegra’s voice called. “It’s time to get up, we need to discuss seating plans, and the menu, and of course the music. I know you have the first dance song picked out, but there’s a great deal left to do, and we only have two days!” Persephone let out a mighty groan as she sat up, rolling her neck and stretching her shoulders. She was desperately in need of a hot bath to sooth her sore muscles, but right now she hadn’t the time.

“Be out in ten, Allegra!” She called back, trudging over to her wardrobe. She shoved a few dresses aside before settling on a gown Felix had given her as a gift. It had dozens of intricate beads on the bodice and along the top of the sash around the waist. It was a rich shade of eggplant, with delicate cap sleeves and a small slit on each side of the A-line skirt that revealed her favorite shoes. Her and Allegra had developed a habit of visiting markets around the world to see what the humans had created now. This pair was Grecian, a set of sturdy sandals that wrapped around her calves several times, reaching her knees. They were surprisingly comfortable and made her legs look great. She checked her reflection one last time in the mirror, nodded, and headed into the hall.

“There you are!” Allegra cheered. She was wearing a lovely shade of aquamarine that made her eyes pop, and a snake arm cuff that she recognized from some Roman booth they had visited a few weeks ago.

“Sorry, I was up late working on the dress again.” Persephone sighed. “Please tell me you have – “

“Coffee from the kitchens, completely black?” Allegra giggled, holding up a massive mug. Persephone kissed her best friend on the cheek and took the bitter drink, sipping slowly. While Persephone drank her coffee darker than the deepest pit of Tartarus, Felix took his with three pumps of nectar, extra whip cream, and ambrosia sprinkles. It came from early mornings in the bakery, helping her parents before Noroo had even raised the sun. She had learned that the more bitter the coffee, the more energy it granted.

“You are the _best_ friend I could ever ask for, Allegra!” Persephone sighed after downing half the mug. “Now, what did we have to do today? We have the dessert handled, and Felix says that the boys all have outfits planned. What else is needed?”

“Like I said, we need to finalize the menu with the chefs, make seating plans for the reception, and the music aside from the first dance. Come on, we have the same sitting room as the other day set up and ready to go.” Persephone nodded, and the two took off down the winding corridors of the palace.

X0X0X

It had been six hours, but everything was finalized. The seating plan had taken the longest; between where to sit her family so that people wouldn’t realize who she was till after the ceremony and trying to make sure that none of the Underworld family would be placed by someone who held any grudges (Claude tended to prank the wrong people). But it was all done, down to the smallest detail. The muses would be providing music for everyone, the dinner plans had been made (guests would choose between beef or fish, green beans or broccoli, side salads or soup, and there was rolls from the bakery and cake for everyone), and the seating arrangement was _finally_ done. Persephone was sagging. Who knew planning a wedding was so _complicated_?

“Sephie!” Allegra called, snapping her fingers in front of her friend’s nose. Persephone startled and blinked rapidly at her friend. Allegra giggled a little, before pulling her up from the arm chair she had slumped in. “A certain someone is here to take you to lunch.” Perking up, Persephone looked over to the door to see Felix standing there, smiling at her.

“Hello, dearest.” He said.

“Hey, love.” She murmured, crossing the room to press a small kiss to his lips. He hummed and set a hand on her waist, as if to ensure himself she was real. “What’s this about lunch?”

“I may have set up a small surprise for you. Come on, it’s this way.” HE gently guided her, keeping her close to his side. She smiled, and began to run him through the plans they had made. Felix and the boys had been in charge of double checking the guest list and the RSVPs, to ensure they had enough for the number of guests attending. It had also been up to them to plan security and entertainment. She only hoped that they hadn’t gone _too_ overboard. After a few minutes of walking in content silence, he stepped away from her and spun around, holding out a hand. Persephone didn’t recognize the area they were in; it was part of the palace she hadn’t had time to explore.

“Ready dearest?” He asked, setting one hand on the door handle. “I need you to close your eyes. Trust me?”

“Always, love.” She smiled and set her hand atop his as he flung the door open. She gasped at the sight laid out before her.

The doors lead to a massive interior garden, with a stunning white gazebo in the center. There was a small floating string quartet, playing a gentle melody, encompassed in a golden aura. Set in the middle of the gazebo was a small round table and chairs, with a simple yet delightful looking meal. It, all in all, was an _exact_ replica of the place they had their weekly date night in the Underworld, in the small grotto she had made her first day there.

“Oh Felix!” She murmured. “This is perfect! It’s exactly what I needed. I’ve been so stressed, and this is so lovely!” He stepped up behind her, pressing his chest to her back and wrapping her in a tight hug.

“I know, dearest. I saw how hard you’ve been working, and I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am that you agreed to marry me in the first place. I know that tradition says we can’t see each other tomorrow, so I decided we needed to spend all of this afternoon together. Allegra, Claude, and Allain are handling the last minute details, so we are completely free.”

“I love you so much, My King.”

“I love you too, My Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! I made a Twitter! It's @Lilnome Stories! Follow me for update schedule, voting, and randomness!


End file.
